Guard mechanism



March 1, 1932. A. I ITTLEFIELD GUARD MECHANI SM Filed Aug. 19, 1931 ARLON LITTLEFIELD, OF CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND,

Patented Mar. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES PATEN'I OFFICE BUTT COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A kCORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND Application led August 19,

This invention `relates to an improved guard mechanism for machines and the l1ke which l is adapted to protect workers and others from injury through contact with rapidly moving machine parts.

One object of the inventionfis the provision of a device of this character which forms a substantially complete protection from the moving parts of an .operating mechanism, .which is so constructed as to occupy a mm1- mum amount of space, and in which the parts are so constructed and arranged that ac cess may be had to the machine readily when 1t is desired to repair or adjust the same. e p f Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character comprising a foldable guard member adapted to be supported in position to surround substantially the operating parts of a machine and having a portion capable of'beingfolded back u on itself to give temporary access to the machine, and means for holding the folded and unfolded portions of the guard member in position upon its supports when a portion thereof is foldedover to give access tothe machine.

Other objects and advantages of the invention relate to various improved details of con- 1 struction and novel arrangements lof the parts as will be more fully set forth in the detailed description to follow.

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the guard mechanism showing the parts in position to enclose substantially completely the operating mechanism of a machine,

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional viewtaken through one of the supporting members and through portions ofthe flexible member carried thereby to illustrate more fully the construction andA arrangement of the exible members and their relation supporting members, i

. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view transverse` ly of one of the supporting members, substantially along the line 3 3 ofF ig. 2, showing the manner of` attaching one of the connecting members to the flexible member, and,

F ig. 4 is a front elevational view of certain of the links forming one of the flexible mem-- to vthe GUARD MECHANISM ,1931. Serial No; 558,074.

bers, as they appear in position upon the supporting member.

In the embodiment of the invention illus- ASSIGNOR" TO NEW ENGLAND i trated herewithl designateseither of two op-r positely positioned and similarlyshaped supporting members, each of which is preferably curved or bowed to enclose. suflicient space for the accommodation of an operating mechanism. The supporting membersl l may be secured to brackets 2 as by means of bolts or like fastening means 3, and the brackets 2 may be secured in turn to the horizontal foundation which supports the machine or to any suitable or desired part of the machine or machine frame.

Each supporting member is preferably of channel shape throughout all or the major portion of its extent and comprises in transverse section an intermediate kcentral portion 4 and upstanding edge portions 5 and 6 forming the channel or seat 7 for the reception of one ofthe flexiblemembers 8y whereby the ilexible Vmembers are held againstaccidental lateral displacement from the supporting"- member.

The flexible members 8, of ywhich one. .is

associated with each of thesupporting members, maybe formed from link members 9 so constructed as to be capable of pivotal attachment to each other as by being provided with hook portions 10 engageable with` the open portion 1l of the next succeeding link member in such a manner asto permit the necessary degree of pivotal movement of the links' relative to each other in rolling up a portionof the protective screen to machine parts. L,

Each flexible member 8 is preferably segive access to the cured to its supporting member at a point ad- .i

Ijacent to the end of the flexible member in such a manner as to permit its removal when 'desired but to hold it in place thereon when in operative positionrand prevent its accildental displacement from the supporting member. In the kpresent embodiment of the invention a boltV orthe like 14; is passed through the open portion 11 of one of the links 9 and removably secured to the intermediate portion al' of the supporting member by a nut 15 for removably connecting the flexible member to the supporting member. Holding plates 16 and 17 may be carried by the bolt 14 and positioned upon opposite sides of the link member to more firmly hold the parts in position.

A plurality of connecting members 18 extend betWeen the supporting-.members 1 and connect the oppositely positioned ilexible members 8. These connecting members may :beiformed `of metal orany other suitable material and :may beV of'yany desired `shape throughout the major portion of their extent. In the present instance they are shown as each provided with flattened end portions 19 to facilitate their attachment to the links of the flexible members 8. The iiattened end portions"1`9 of each connecting member is secured to oppositely positioned correspond- 4ingly llocated links 9 vofthe flexible members by means oflbolts or .the .like20, and a holding-plate 21may be'applied tothe opposite side ofthe link member vforfirmly securing the flattened end '19 ofthe connecting member to 'the link.

`Wihenthe supportingmembers 1 are'regularly curved throughout a substantialpor- 4tion `of `their extent, engaging members 24 vmaybe secured 'to the supporting members 1 'at intervals for engaging ythose 0*portions of 30 Lthefflex'ible vmembers adjacentto the ends of the flexible members Which are'securedto the "supporting members 'whereby the *free ends Vof the flexible vmembers `and Ythe connecting members carried "thereby may be rolled or folded over ias indieatedat 25 to give access 'tothemachine parts'yvithout causing'the en- -tireprotective screen-26to slide or fall'from the supporting -m'embers A formpof engaging `-member 24 which maybe employed 40 'n connection with the type -of flexible .mem-

bers shown herein comprises a sleeve ortube "27"locatedupon the central portion 4 of each ysupporting member vand held thereon by a `fboltorthe"like 28 `passed'through the sleeve and the-central portion 4 of the supporting `memberandsecured thereto by a nut 29.

llhe engaging members 24 are so positioned *upon-eachsupporting member 1 as to register With'and engage the opening in one of "the link members when the link members are -e-xtended,7but Without permitting sufficient slack "in the `flexible member to permit the ready release of a link member from its engaging lmember accidentally or unless Vthe 'flexible member is lifted therefrom. The provision of'ithese'engaging members tein- `porarily 'retaining lthe flexible members in `position upon the supporting members permits the operatorto fold or roll the free end fof the protective screen 2G upwardly upon the-supportingmembers as indicated at 25 Whenever he desires to have access to that sid 'of the Amachine facing l.the free end of the vprotective lscreen and insures that the pro- Yte'etive screen will be supported in ,that position by liftingit bodily to @causethe ensition Without falling from the supporting members and without uncovering the other side of the machine. If it is desired to have access to the opposite side of the machine the protective screen may be first rolled up as indicated vat 25 andliftedcolf bodily when the link members will readily free themselves from the engaging members 24. The protective screen may be again placed in pogaging members 241to engageltheirllinkniem- 75 bers and then unrolling or unfolding the free end of the screen to cause it to extend over and rest upon the supporting members. The engaging members 24 also serve to retain the pro-tectivescreen 2.6 in -vits extended position -upon the supporting membersziftheprotective screen should be subjected to vibrations or struckby any obgect'in such a manner as might otherwise tendto displace it -from its.v

iosition u `)on the sup ortinw'members. i n

rVhat I claim is':-

1. A guard mechanism' for kmachines and the like, lcomprising oppositely positioned bowed supporting members each of which isr d provided with a recess 'formed in the outer'v face thereof for receiving aflexible member and holding'the samejagainst movementlaterally out of engagement with vsaid frame member, flexible members each .having-'a porv g5 tion thereof secured to one of said supporting members and normally `extended to lie Within the recess in said supporting'memben and a Aplurality of members connecting said flexible members and extending `between said sup` ioo porting members, the free ends of saidflexible Y members together With 'the adjacent, connecting members being '.foldable upon-themselves While rsustained by thesupporting members to give accessto the vspace enclosed. ,105 bythe guard mechanism. 2. A guard mechanism for'machines vand the like, comprising oppositely kpositioned boived supporting 'members located vWithin substantially parallel planes and each pi'o- 110 vided With a substantially continuous seat v located upon the outerface thereof-for receiving .a flexible member, a flexible'member having a portion secured'to the .outer face of each supporting `member, and adapted When ex- .115 tended to engage'the seat vformed upon the outer surfacethereof, elongated members connecting said flexible 'members and 'bridging the space between said supporting members, and holding members carried by said supporting members for engaging kportions `of said flexible members to hold the flexible members upon the seats 'formed upon the supporting members and retain the flexiblememvbers against movement longitudinally of the supporting members.

3. A guard mechanism .for machines and the like comprising oppositely positioned correspondingly shaped supporting members each of Which is provided Witha substantially continuous external seat for receiving an articulated member provided with open linksv located at intervals throughout at least a portion of its extent, articulated members carried by said supporting members and engaging said seats, elongated members connecting said articulated members at intervals throughout the major portion of the extent of said articulated members, and engaging means carried by said supporting members and projecting outwardly from the outer faces thereof for engaging certain of the open links in said articulated members and holding the articulated members against sliding movement relative to said supporting members.

4. A guard mechanism for machines and the like comprising oppositely positioned correspondingly shaped supporting members, each of Which is providedupon its outer i'ace with a substantially continuous seat of sulficient Width to receive and support a flexible member, flexible members carried by said supporting members, and means connecting said flexible members to form a protective screen extending from one supporting member to the other; and means carried by said supporting members for engaging portions of said protective screen to hold the same against accidental removal from said supporting members.

In testimony whereof I have allixed my signature.

ARLON LITTLEFIELD. 

